


Safe and Sound

by alisha_winchester_collins



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Friendship/Love, Older Man/Younger Woman, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-05
Updated: 2014-12-05
Packaged: 2018-02-28 05:33:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2720615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alisha_winchester_collins/pseuds/alisha_winchester_collins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when Caitlin is in danger and the only person who can save her is Harrison Wells, even if it means risking exposing his secret to her? A SnowWells one-shot, with hints of something more?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Safe and Sound

**Author's Note:**

> This was written before 1x06 aired and clearly Tony Woodward was a very different version of "Girder" that I used here but I just wrote him in vaguely as the meta-human here!

It happened so suddenly that Caitlin didn't even realize what she had just seen, not until the feeling of someone's arm draped around her waist registered in her mind. One minute, the meta-human attacking S.T.A.R Labs had a gun pointed to her and the next, she remembered... falling... no, getting pulled down by someone and hitting her head against the floor. Her left hand was free and unhurt to check for any injuries that she may have sustained. Everything felt fine to her, save for a slight throb at the base of her skull; and yet she realized that she couldn't move due to the weight of the other person who was lying face down.

"Oh my god!" Caitlin's heart was thumping loudly as she turned around to see the body shielding her. They were both lying on the cold marble, neither one moving, speaking or showing any signs of life so as to avoid the attention of their enemy who had turned his attention back to stealing whatever it was that he had come for.

She could hear the typing of a keyboard somewhere in the distance and guessed that the meta-human was nowhere near her; and so she focused all thoughts back to her savior. Caitlin knew that the man beside her couldn't have been Cisco because he was lying unconscious on the other side of the room. It wasn't Barry either, he was currently fighting off the meta-human's accomplices in the basement as they tried to break into the Pipeline. That left only one other person.

"Dr. Wells." She whispered softly, wondering how this was even possible. His hold on her kept them both pinned to the ground but Caitlin could feel something on her neck, like a sticky liquid...  _blood_. "No, no. Please. No." Closing her eyes, hoping to come up with any other possible explanation of what was happening, Caitlin prayed that he was still alive.

In that moment, she was able to calm down and replay the last several minutes in her mind; the fall had distracted her thoughts but now it was easier for Caitlin to recall what had happened. As soon as Cisco had been knocked out, she remembered screaming his name and then found herself face to face with the muzzle of a gun and the icy-cold grey eyes of the meta-human who didn't need to say anything to shut her up. He didn't know that Dr. Harrison Wells was still in the building and safe inside his office... that was... until he entered the lab, quietly and carefully, away from the meta-human's line of sight. It had taken him only a second to assess the situation and Caitlin remembered exchanging a worried look with him as she frantically tried to warn him to leave. To find Barry. To get to safety before he was caught as well. To leave her and Cisco behind. And then, somehow... the enemy had sensed another presence in the room and turned to see Dr. Wells in his wheelchair looking composed.

_"Who the hell are you supposed to be?"_ The man's voice was hard and cold, but he meant business as he turned the gun away from Caitlin towards her boss.

_"Dr. Harrison Wells. I'm the man in charge of S.T.A.R. Labs."_ How he had managed to keep his calm even though he was being held at gun point, Caitlin didn't understand, but she knew that Dr. Wells was a brave man.  _"And might I ask who you are?"_ Keeping the enemy distracted, that was his plan... if the two of them were busy talking then she might have a chance to make a run for it and find Barry.

_"The man currently stealing all your research and freeing my fellow comrades from the so-called prison you've been stashing them inside."_ Whoever this meta-human was, the only source of knowing his abilities could be attributed to the fact that he was made of... metal. The team had heard of this new discovery from Barry only recently but were unable to gather any more information on him. Until now.

_"I see. And what do you hope to accomplish once you've done so?"_ Harrison stole a quick glance in Caitlin's direction in an attempt to signal her to slowly back away towards the exit; she was standing frozen to the spot behind this meta-human but knew what needed to be done.

Unfortunately, before she had even lifted a foot from the ground, Caitlin had drawn in a deep breath... and somehow the metal man had heard her. Spinning around so that he was staring directly at her, bring the gun back towards her chest... and cocked it. In his mind, he seemed to have figured an invalid man wasn't as much of a danger as this young woman; but it didn't stop him from threatening Dr. Wells.

_"Try to stop me and I put a bullet in this pretty young thing's heart. You don't want that now, do ya?"_ He was clever enough not to turn around and let Caitlin disarm him if she tried, but he was also stupid enough not to realize how dangerous Harrison Wells could be.

_"There's no need for violence here. You can put the gun away, we don't want any trouble."_ Caitlin noticed that with every few seconds that dragged by in this confrontation, Dr. Wells was closing the distance between him and the meta-human, still trying to keep her safe.

_"Yeah? Well you just keep your mouth shut and let me do my work. If anyone tries to escape..."_ The metal man had said as he walked towards the computers, carrying a briefcase in the other hand and from within, Caitlin could clearly see that there was a hard-disk among other things he would need to transfer all their files.

That's what he was doing right now... Caitlin knew that much... but... what had gone wrong? Her recollection was interrupted when she heard a soft gasp... Dr. Wells was conscious! He was alive... injured somehow, but still alive. Slowly moving her body inwards so that she was facing him, Caitlin almost let out a cry of relief when she saw those bright blue eyes staring at her.

And then she remembered what had happened last. Dr. Wells had been only a few feet away from her when his wheelchair had beeped; an incoming message from Barry was what alerted the meta-human; he turned around to see Caitlin with her hand outstretched as she tried to get to her boss. There was a look of fear in her eyes which were reflected in his... if only for a brief moment... but then she was pushed away as soon as the weapon was fired. Somehow... by some unexpected and surprising miracle, Harrison had jumped out of the wheelchair and pulled Caitlin down to safety as he fell with her.

"Caitlin..." Harrison spoke softly as he finally let go of her waist and brought his hand to her face, running a finger across her forehead where a cut had formed, possibly the result of hitting the marble.

"You're hurt." She said, knowing that the blood on her neck was now closer to her arm. He was injured from the bullet which had struck his right shoulder.

"It's fine... are you okay?" He dared to turn his head and was glad to do so, for he saw that by then Barry had dealt with their enemy who was helping Cisco sit up before rushing over to where he and Caitlin were.

"I... I think so..." Nodding her head, she was about to say something else but, "Oh!  _Barry_!" Caitlin nearly threw herself into Harrison's arms when she felt a hand on her shoulder but when she saw it was only her friend, her startled gasp changed to an exclamation of relief.

"What... what happened here?" The young man looked dumbfounded as he stared at the overthrown wheelchair and then at his mentor who was lying on the ground.

"Dr. Wells! He... he saved my life... from that meta-human who tried to shoot me." Caitlin started to answer Barry but then, as if the realization of what had happened suddenly hit her, she spun around to face the other man, "Your legs are functional again! How... you... you got out of the wheelchair and you... jumped in front of the bullet..." The shock of it all returned as the words left her mouth. She didn't dwell on the 'saving' part as all her attention was solely focused on the fact that the impossible had just turned possible in front of her own eyes and yet she didn't know if she believed it.

"Whoa! Are you serious?" Cisco's voice chimed in from behind Barry as he walked over to them and saw that Caitlin was telling the truth. "You're serious.  _Wow_. This is so cool!" He beamed with glee on realizing that his mentor really had walked again.

"Caitlin was in danger... I didn't think... I seem to have just reacted." Harrison himself appeared to be equally surprised at this revelation as they all were.

Without thinking about anything else, Caitlin suddenly flung her arms around his neck as she hugged him. Not caring that Barry and Cisco were hovering above and not saying anything. She wanted to have this moment with the man who saved her; they had just survived a scary hostage situation together and their teammates respected that as both of them left the lab a few seconds later, talking about clearing up the Pipeline and making sure all the prisoners, including the metal man, were secured.

"Thank you." Caitlin said once she sensed that the two of them were alone now. Her head was buried in his neck and she could feel both his hands on her back. They were still sitting on the floor and if she had her way then Caitlin wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

"You're welcome. I truly am glad that you're okay Caitlin." The tone of his voice suggested that Harrison was relieved... but there was one thing which she didn't register just then; a hint of anger was mixed into that relief as well.

"I have to run some tests now!" She suddenly exclaimed as she pulled back from the hug to stare at him, "Dr. Wells... You... you can walk again... but we don't know if this is permanent. I mean, we don't even know how this happened since it is impossible and yet it isn't..." Caitlin didn't notice her ramblings as the scientist side kicked in; it seemed as if all the fears and worries she'd felt vanished now that the danger was over.

"Caitlin... I think we can wait until morning for that..." Harrison said to her, "You should get some rest tonight. And check to see if this isn't a concussion." Reaching out to touch the cut again, he gave Caitlin a smile, wondering if she would actually listen to him.

"This? It's nothing really. I just hit my head a little when we fell. I'll be okay." In all honesty, Caitlin hadn't realized there was a cut on her forehead and all the pain she remembered from earlier wasn't something she'd thought of after that initial assessment of the throbbing she'd felt.

Harrison sighed as he understood that Caitlin wasn't about to let this go so easily. After all, it wasn't everyday that a man confined to the wheelchair for the rest of his life without any cure in sight suddenly stood up and even jumped to save another person's life. And yet, she surprised him when she touched the shoulder where he'd been hit.

"Let's take care of this first." Caitlin suggested as she stood up, wondering to herself if he would need to use the wheelchair again or... not?

Nodding hid head in agreement, Harrison braced himself against the desk and took a deep breath before pushing his legs to stand up... slowly... carefully... shakily... he felt the tremble for a split second but then Caitlin was there, lending her support as she helped him. For a second, he forgot about all his walking troubles as he looked over to her and they both were lost in each other's gazes; but that feeling was gone as soon as it had come. To her, the thing about being around Dr. Wells for the better part of a year since the accident, Caitlin had gotten used to silently communicating with him and knew that instead of the wheelchair, he preferred to walk with her towards the hospital beds where Barry usually found himself most days.

It took them less time than either one could have anticipated, given his current state, but soon Harrison was sitting at the edge of a bed watching as Caitlin grabbed her first-aid kit and began to roll up the sleeve of his t-shirt in order to examine the bullet-wound more clearly. Once she got down to doing what she did best as a doctor, Caitlin found herself in a peaceful state; but for some reason, her heart beats were still a little erratic... if she thought to look up and see that Harrison was still focused on watching her every move, then maybe it would make more sense, but she didn't think about that. Over the next several minutes, she worked in silence, cleaning the wound and then wrapping a bandage around it, relieved to know that there was no bullet embedded in the skin and the gash wasn't deep enough to require stitches.

"There we go, the bandages will need to be changed by morning but otherwise it's all good." She stated once her work was done.

"Thank you Caitlin." Harrison took the painkillers that she held out to him with a glass of water, and then lay back on the bed; the exhaustion over the last... half hour was starting to catch up.

Caitlin took this as a sign that Dr. Wells definitely needed his rest and knew all the tests she needed to run could wait until the morning. She owed him everything for saving her life and this was the least she could do. Still, now that her mind started to wander, there was a part of her which was shaken up over the events that had occurred and she found herself wishing that she didn't have to go home to an empty apartment; it would surely give her nightmares to be alone tonight. As if he could read her thoughts, Caitlin saw Dr. Wells open his eyes and glanced over.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, not really knowing what she was thinking.

Biting her bottom lip as she contemplated the idea that had come to her, Caitlin thought of how she should phrase the words without sounding too... needy?

"Err... I... I was wondering if you could use some company since you're planning to stay at the lab tonight?" How would it be needy? There were other rooms in the facility, other offices, her own office. And yet, she found herself thinking of staying here.

If the idea was too crazy for her to have imagined, what Harrison did next was nothing in comparison to it. He didn't say anything in response to the question but instead presented her with one of his own; by moving to one side of the bed, there was enough space for Caitlin... to join him.

"I think we can manage for one night." Was all he said to her as he observed the realization crossing her features and waited to see what she would do.

It was an innocent gesture, Caitlin knew that much. Logical even, because she surmised that her fears were stemming from the aftermath of a terrifying ordeal and Dr. Wells had come up with a rational suggestion to help alleviate the nerves. Sharing a bed with him provided her with the opportunity to be in close quarters with another person which is what she had wanted and it also meant she could check on him easily at any time during the night if need be.

"Sure." She replied, knowing in her heart of hearts that there wasn't any other answer she could have given to him. Caitlin didn't understand everything yet, but focused on what she could. This was something as simple as a doctor staying overnight to watch over her patient.

"Okay then." Harrison smiled at her again, watching as she got up and walked over to the other end of the room in order to turn off the lights.

When Caitlin returned, she quietly lay down on the bed next to him, not fully understanding how something so simple as this, could make her feel relaxed almost instantly. It was also quite suddenly that she found herself drifting off to sleep and within moments, Harrison felt her head on his chest as Caitlin rested a hand near his heart and mumbled something barely audible.

"Goodnight." Was what it sounded like to him, and if she were awake, Caitlin would have known that her patient wasn't about to fall asleep anytime soon.

What she didn't realize that night was the one single thought which was on Harrison Wells' mind and nor would she realize it for a long time to come. No matter how he appeared outwardly when talking to Caitlin or offering to let her sleep next to him or even suggesting to run all the tests on him the following morning; Harrison was anything but pleased after the night's events had led to these consequences, but he resigned himself to the fact that he knew there was nothing to be done about it either.

This was not part of the plan. He never intended to get so involved... not to the extent where he almost ended up jeopardizing the entire reason he ever did anything. It all changed because of this one woman; Caitlin Snow. The young, beautiful doctor had gone and found herself in a near-death experience, which wasn't her fault at all. No, Harrison didn't blame her for it, but what he did blame her for was the fact that along with the task of saving her life, there came a moment earlier when he had felt something else... something unexpected... something unplanned... something unnecessary. And yet, once it was inside him, he couldn't shake that feeling off either. The thought that if Caitlin ever was in danger again, just like tonight, when no one else was around to save her... he would be there. Without hesitation, without regrets, without fear. Harrison Wells would jump in front of another bullet, even if he might not be lucky enough to get grazed again; she would still be alive.

"Goodnight Caitlin." Harrison finally whispered in reply as he glanced down at the woman sleeping in his arms and somehow, he knew now that he would be able to rest. Gently placing a kiss atop her head and smiling to himself as he decided that perhaps this was not such a bad thing after all; if there was ever to be a time when he could be so selfless and put someone else's life before his own, it was now. And it would always be Caitlin.


End file.
